The Digivirus
by Lady Ava
Summary: UPDATED!!! CHAPTER 3 UPLOADED! The Digidestined are faced with lossing their leader to a digital virus. Can they help him before it's to late? (Taiora, Mimato, and Takari. ::T.K. and Kari::) Later Chapters will be PG-13 for graphic parts.
1. The Virus begins

The Digivirus **__**

The Digivirus

By: Lady Ava

Kari tossed and turned in her bed. Her thoughts were in shambles, as she lay there, helpless in her awful nightmare. Kari was surrounded by darkness and the only light in the void was coming from her crest of light. She knew that she was alone, for her soul told her so. "Hello? Who's there?" Kari called, her voice echoing into the blackness. 

Within a short time, her call was answered. Although the voice sounded distant, Kari could easily recognize it as T.K.'s. "Matt, is he going to be alright? Mr. and Mrs. Kayima seem really upset after the doctor talked to them." He sounded very hoarse, like he had been crying very hard. 

"T.K. Where are you, T.K.?" Kari called. She tried to take a step forward, but the darkness held her crest and her at bay. "T.K.! Tai! Where are you? I'm scared." The echo of her voice carried through the emptiness, as if trying to break free. 

As Kari stood there, she heard Tai's voice, which seemed to break away the blackness. "Kari, come on. Wake up. We need to go." He spoke, sounding very loving. 

Kari's eyes flew opened to meet her brother's. He was smiling down at her, his teenage looks really noticeable. He was dressed in casual clothes; a pair of jeans, a soccer jersey, and his goggles around his neck. "Hey, good morning. Come on, we have to go." He smiled. 

Sitting up, Kari threw her arms around her brother's neck. "Tai, it was awful. The darkness, T.K.'s sad voice echoing through my head. It's a warning…I know it is." She babbled, crying into her brother's chest. 

Tai looked down at his little sister. Touching her shoulders, Tai asked, "A warning? To what?" 

"I don't know. But I have a feeling that you're in danger." She whispered. 

"How do you know?" Tai questioned, lifted his sister's head up so that her tear-filled eyes were looking at his eyes. 

Kari looked away towards the balcony doors. "Because…I just feel it. My heart and soul feel a sense of danger in the air, Tai. The evil, black auras aren't surrounding the others, but it is covering you. I don't know, maybe…I just ate something bad before I went to sleep, which caused me to have nightmares." 

Standing, Tai looked down at his sister and smiled. "Kari, if something is going to happen, we can handle it. I know it." Walking over towards the door, Tai called back, "Hurry and get dressed. The Digiworld needs us." 

Kari watched as her brother left. "Thanks Tai. He is really great…for an older brother." She said to herself. 

*********************

"Hey. You guys are late." Joe stated as Tai and Kari walked into the school's computer lab. "What happened, Tai? Did you see a cute girl on the street and tried to flirt with her?" He asked jokingly.

Kari walked passed her brother giggling. His face turned bright red with anger and embarrassment. "No, not really." Tai said through clenched teeth. 

Kari walked over to T.K. and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Smiling, she turned to her brother. "Now Tai, you shouldn't lye like that." 

"Okay, buddy. Just how did she turn you down?" Matt asked, looking over from the windows. 

"She…hit me with her bags and walked away." Tai answered, slamming the door behide him.

Sora stood from one of the many chairs in the room. Walking over to Tai, she gave him a hug. "Listen, don't bother with her. Remember, you got me." She whispered, kissing his cheek. 

Clearing his throat, Izzy grabbed the others attentions. "Listen guys, can we get this show on the road. The Digimon are waiting for us." 

Mimi stood from the heater. "Your right, Izzy! Let's go!" 

Gathering around the screen, the Digidestined withdrew their Digivices. "Alright, let's do it! Digiport…Open!" Tai shouted. The screen glowed its usual bright glow as the gate between the two worlds opened and with the mighty flash of light, the eight teens vanished. 

*******************

When they reappeared in the Digiworld, a loud explosion greeted them. The dust from the blast surrounded the teens, causing them to gag and hack. "What's…going…on?" Izzy questioned, covering his mouth and shutting his eyes. 

"Tai! Over here!" Agumon's voice shouted through the storm of earth. 

Raising his head, Tai managed to open his eyes to see Agumon and the other Digimon waving them over towards fresh air. "Guys…this way!" He commanded. 

With the others on his tail, Tai led the others to their Digimon companions. "Gatomon!" Kari shouted happily, seeing her feline friend running towards. 

Jumping into Kari's arms, Gatomon purred. "It's so great to see you, Kari."

"There's no time for reunions. We have to attack!" Gabumon stated, pointing towards the dust storm. Looking over to the storm they just escaped, the Digidestined and their Digimon saw a large creature walking through the storm. It had large black claws to match the rest of its black body. The head looked like a large beetle, with two massive pinchers in place of a mouth. "It's Virusmon. Don't get in the way of his double-viral attack. The effects can be dangerous." Gabumon said. 

Withdrawing his digivice, Tai stood strong. "Come on, guys! Let's get these Digimon Digivolved!" He stated. 

"Agumon digivolved to…Greymon!" 

"Gabumon digivolve to…Garurumon!" 

"Byimon digivolve to…Birdramon!"

"Tentomon digivolve to…Karbutarimon!" 

"Palmon digivolve to…Topomon!"

"Gomamon digivolve to…Ikkakumon!" 

"Gatomon digivolve to…Angewomon!"

"Patamon digivolve to…Angemon!" 

Virusmon looked at the newly digivolved competitors before him. Smiling, he roared a mighty roar. "It looks like he accepted the challenge that we put before him. Prodigious." Izzy stated, withdrawing his laptop. 

"Greymon! Give it everything you got!" Tai shouted. 

Nodding, Greymon ran towards the evil Virusmon. "Nova Blaster!" He shouted, firing the hot fire from his mouth. Virusmon dogged the blast easily. "What? How could he do that?" Greymon shouted. 

"My turn…Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon shouted. The bright pink arrow shout from the Digimon's hands gracefully, but it too, missed. "This is getting ridiculous!" She shouted. 

Garurumon ran over towards Matt. "Matt, get on. We'll attack him together." The wolf Digimon stated, bending down. Nodding, Matt climbed onto his friend's back. "Alright! Let's do it!" Garurumon shouted. 

"Come on! Bring it on, Virusmon!" Matt shouted angrily as he raced towards the evil monster.

Springing into the air, Garurumon attacked. "Howling Blaster!" His attack hit the evil Digimon head on, causing him to fall to the ground. "All right!" He shouted. 

"We got him!" Matt said, as they landed on the ground. 

Looking over at the massive dust storm, T.K. began to shake. "Don't celebrate yet, Matt. Look!" Matt's brother shouted, pointing. 

As the others looked over, the evil Digimon was still standing, dusting himself off. "How could he survive such a strong direct hit?" Kari asked, coming up next to T.K. 

Suddenly, the evil Digimon tilted his head back. "He's getting ready to attack! Everyone hit the ground!" Sora shouted.

"Guys! Head towards those rocks! We can hide behide them." Joe shouted, running towards a large pile of rocks. 

Everyone turned and began to run with Joe. Tai looked back to see the Digimon still trying to prepare his attack. That's when he saw his Digimon companion lying in the attack's path. "Agumon!" He shouted, doing an about face to grab the lizard. 

As he ran passed his sister, Kari turned as well. "No Tai! Come back!" She shouted, giving chase after her brother. 

"Kari!" T.K. shouted. He tried to run after her, but Matt grabbed him. "Matt, let go! I need to get Kari!" 

Matt pulled his brother behide the rocks with the others. "Listen! She'll be fine!" Matt shouted. Looking up from his brother, Matt watched as Tai and Kari ran over to Agumon. "Tai! Kari! Come On!!!" He shouted.

"Agumon, are you okay?" Tai asked in a rushed tone. He kept glancing at the large Digimon, making sure he wasn't about to fire. 

Agumon looked up at Tai. "I can't run. I hurt my foot."

Tai bent down and looked at the lizard's injured foot. "Tai! What's wrong? What are you doing?" Kari demanded. 

"Kari, What are you…" Tai started, but couldn't finish. Suddenly, the earth began to shake beneath their feet. Swinging his head around, Tai saw Virusmon's claws beginning to glow. "RUN!" He shouted to his sister as he picked up Agumon on his back. 

The two teens turned and sprinted towards the boulders where the other waved to them. They shouted things like, "Hurry!" or "Faster!" Suddenly, they heard the Digimon shout his attack. "Double-Virual Attack!"

A massive black light shot from the monster's claws. The beam soared past the other Digimon and flew directly at the teens. Seeing the beam coming right at them, Tai took Agumon off his back and quickly shielded both the Digimon and his sister from the attack. They flew forward, begin engulfed by the black light. Kari heard her brother scream in pain and she let out a scream of horror as she flung forward. As she hit the ground, her mind flashed back. 'A dark aura surrounding Tai. It must have been the attack from Virusmon…' Kari thought as she and the others hit the ground with a thud. 

As the attack ceased, both the black light and the monster vanished. Coming out from behide the rocks, all the digidestined could do was stare at the sea of destruction that the monster caused. Their Digimon returned to their sides, back to their rookie forms. "Are you alright, T.K.?" Patamon asked, landing on T.K.'s hat. 

As he surveyed the flat land, he saw Kari and Tai lying motionless on the ground. Agumon and Gatomon sat there, trying to wake their friends. "Kari! Tai!" T.K. shouted. 

Running towards their fallen friends, the others heard the Digimon's pleads. 

"Kari, Please kid, wake up." Gatomon cried. 

"Tai. Come on, you gotta wake up. We gotta go home now." Agumon said softly. 

Sora ran to Tai. Moving past Agumon, she bent her head down to Tai's chest. She sat there listening for a pulse and finally rose her head up again. "He's alive. But he just unconscious." She said, a sigh of relief being breathed on her part. 

"The same goes for Kari." T.K announced to the rest of the group. 

Suddenly, Kari began to stir. Her eyes slowly opened to see T.K. holding her in his arms. "T.K.?" She questioned, her voice faint and tired like. 

"Yea, it's me. You okay?" He asked. 

Kari shook her head, trying to rid her ears of the buzzing sound. "Kari!" Gatomon shouted, jumping into her friend's arms. 

As Kari smiled at Gatomon, she saw her brother slowly waking up as well. "Are you alright?" She asked, standing from the ground. 

Tai sat up and smiled. "Yea. My head is just buzzing, that's all." He stated, shaking his head as well. 

"Hey guys. Let's go. There is nothing else we can do here." Matt stated, pointing towards the gate. "If we leave now, I think we can make it home in time to the movie on channel 7." He laughed. 

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sora asked Tai as he came to him feet. "I mean, you took the brunt of the attack.

Tai took Sora's hand in his. "Sora, I'm fine. Please don't worry yourself over all this." He said, lifting her hand up to his lips. 

*****************

When they returned through the portal, the Digidestined part ways to their separate parts of town. Mimi, Joe, Izzy, and Matt went one direction while T.K., Kari, Tai, and Sora went their own direction. They waked through the noisy city in silence until they reached Tai and Kari's apartment building. "Well, see ya tomorrow right here." Tai said smiling. 

"Yeah, Good night." Sora stated, her face a bit flushed. 

"Night, T.K." Kari smiled, kissing him on the cheek. 

T.K., too, turned a bit red. "Yeah…you too." He breathed. 

Tai and Kari walked to their apartment and let themselves inside. After eating dinner, Kari went into Tai's room. As she cracked the door opened, she saw him lying on his bed. Shutting the door behide her, she walked past her brother, who was sleeping, to his balcony. Opening the doors, a warm breeze rushed into the room and past Kari, blowing her hair back. Walking out onto the landing, Kari watched the ships sail through the harbor, the lights flashing into the water, as a sign that they were entering the docking area. Breathing in deeply, the girl let out a deep sigh. 

"Kari?" Tai asked from behide, causing Kari to jump. Turning, Kari saw Tai leaning against the door. He had a calming smile on his face as he stood there in his sleeping attire. "What's up?" He asked.

"It's a long story." She stated. 

Walking over to his sibling, Tai placed an arm around Kari's shoulders. He, too, gazed up to look at the stars. "Man, these stars are nothing compared to the Digital World's, eh?" He observed. Looking over at his sister, he smiled. "Those stars put our stars here to shame." 

"Tai, I don't think that we are out of danger yet." Kari firmly told her brother. Looking up to meet his gaze, she continued. "I feel that the dark aura has gotten stronger ever since this afternoon, when we were in that attack. I just don't think that you're out of the fire, that's all." 

Turning towards the door, Tai began to move forward. "Kari, I have a confession to make. I have this weird feeling inside me. Like something bad is creeping around and looking over my shoulder whenever it gets the chance. 

Kari stared at her brother. "I've felt…the same way. I told Mom. But she said that it just a thing teenagers go through." 

Tai turned towards his sister and frowned. "That's way I didn't eat all of my dinner and I didn't stay up to watch the soccer game. I've just wanted to sleep and even now I feel as if I'm using to much energy." 

Kari murmured, "Let's not tell the others. They will be really worried if we say anything." 

Tai nodded in agreement. "Okay. Night Tai." Kari said, walking towards the door. 

"Night kid." He smiled as he watched her close the door. 

************************

The next morning ran like it always did. Mrs. Kayima would come in and first wake Tai, then go to the get room over and wake Kari. Then go back a second time to wake Tai again. But there was one difference in that part of the morning. Tai was already wide-awake lying in his bed, waiting for his mother to come in. He had been awake all night, tossing and turning in bed. 

When the two Kayima's went down to meet the others, Tai looked all messy and sickly. His uniform was untidy and his hair was as well. Tai and Kari fell back in the groups pace, mostly because Tai felt as if he could give at any moment and pass out and Kari was there to help him if he did. 

Upon reaching the school, Matt turned to the two teens who brought up the rear. "Hey guys, are you okay?" He asked as he held the door opened for them.

"Fine." Tai answered coldly walking through the door. 

"You'll have to excuse him, Matt." Kari replied, following her brother. 

Matt looked back at the others. "I don't want to sound as if I'm losing it, but is it just me or dose Tai seem not like himself?" 

Sora looked over at him. "Yeah, you're right. Tai didn't kiss me good morning like he always does." 

Izzy watched at Kari and Tai said their good byes and went there separate ways for the day. "Maybe something happened last night." He suggested.

Matt walked into the building. "They haven't really been themselves since they were hit with that attack yesterday." He stated. 

"Okay. We each have at least one class with each of them, right? So we'll just keep an eye on them for the rest of the day." Joe declared.

Mimi smiled at Joe. "That is a great idea, Joe!" She said, her high-pitched voice echoing through the lobby of the school. 

**********************

Tai sat in his science class with Sora next to him and Matt behide him. As he sat there, Tai felt sick. He felt his temperature rising and that his hands were becoming clammy. His vision kept going in and out of focus as he watched his teacher write about waves in the ocean currents around the world. 'What's wrong with me? I feel as weak as a kitten and I'm trembling all over. Plus, I feel as if I'm going to pass out right now. No. I'm not going too. But, I can feel as if it is going to happen soon.' He thought. 

"Tai? You okay? You're really pale." Sora whispered over to him. 

"Yeah…why…why wouldn't I be?" He whispered back. 

"You're hands are shaking." She stated with concern in her voice.

Suddenly, the bell rang. Tai jumped a bit and then quickly grabbed the desk as a safety precaution. "Oh, just…the bell." He breathed. 

******************

The three digidestined walked out of their classroom and towards the gym. Tai dragged behide Sora and Matt. The crowed halls between periods didn't make Tai feel any better. His brain felt as if it were about to burst from all the sound. 'I can't take anymore of this.' He thought. 

Walking into the gym, Tai noticed that the bleachers were pulled out from the walls. "What's going on?" He asked, looking dazed at the students sitting on the bleachers. 

"Tai, it's a new marking period, remember? We're gonna be sitting on the bleachers the whole period." Matt stated, looking for the others. "Hey, there's Mimi." He said, seeing Mimi waving her arms in the air. 

Walking up the stairs to where the others were sitting, the three teens saw that both Kari and Izzy were missing. "Where's Kari?" Tai asked hoarsely. 

"She's in the computer lab with Izzy. He is helping her download a new computer program onto her camera." Mimi stated loudly. 

For the rest of the period, the five digidestined sat there talking about their day so far while Tai sat with his head against the wall, sleeping. Sleep that Tai craved and needed. 

When the period concluded, the digidestined walked down the stairs to the gym floor. When Tai's feet hit the floor the sound of his soccer coach caused him to freeze. "Kayima! There you are! I was looking for you." 

As Tai and the others turned, a large built man came walking over to them. "Hey Mr. Samami. Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Tai asked, his voice's volume getting weaker and weaker. 

"I wanted to tell ya that we have practice after school today. We can't have my most valuable player missing practice, now can we?" Mr. Samami stated in a coach-like manner. 

While the coach continued to rattle on and on about things that he wanted to do at practice, Tai wasn't listening. His vision blurred completely and he began to sway on his feet. "What's the matter, Tai?" He heard his coach asked. 

Tai looked at the blurry outline of Mr. Samami. "I…need to lye…down." He stuttered out. Suddenly, Tai's legs gave out and he fell onto the hard wooden gym floor. His breath was heavy and he was drawing attention of the other students in the gym. 

"Tai. Hey Tai! Wake up!" Joe shouted as he bent down and began to shake Tai's shoulders. 

Sora ran over to Tai as well. She fell to the ground and picked up his head. "Tai? Come on, Tai. Please wake up." She said softly. 

Meanwhile, the other students were gathered in a circle around the scene. They echoed through the crowd what had happened. "Tai Kayima fainted!" "The star soccer player on the varsity team passed out?" "Just fell to the floor?" 

As the other students babbled on and on, Tai began to stir on the floor. "What happened?" He asked weakly. 

"You passed out." Sora stated quietly, so that only the Digidestined could hear her. 

Placing his hand on Tai's forehead, Joe felt for a temperature. "Man, you're boiling hot. Why didn't you tell your parents this morning that you didn't feel well?" 

Sitting up, Tai hung his head. "Because I didn't want them to worry, that's all." Before anyone else could say anything, Tai rose to his feet. "I'm going to the nurse." He stated. 

"And we're going too." T.K. stated, walking up next to their leader. 

As Tai and the others started towards the door, the group of teens who were watching the whole thing stepped to the side, so that they had a clear path towards the gym's main doors. 

***************

While the six digidestined walked down the hallway towards the nurse's office, they walked past the main computer lab. As T.K. walked past, he looked inside to see Izzy sitting at the computer with Kari's camera. He was typing away on the keyboard, opening the files needed to upload the new program into the digital camera. 

That's when T.K. noticed that Kari wasn't there. "Hey Izzy." The blond haired teen stated, causing the computer wiz to jump. 

"Oh, T.K. Hey, why are you guys here?" Izzy asked, standing from his chair. 

"We're taking Tai to the nurse. He fainted in Gym class." Joe explained as he and the other Digidestined came to the door. Joe was supporting Tai on his feet, although Tai was very reluctant to have any help.

Izzy walked over to the others. "Man, we should tell Kari. She would want to be with her brother if he isn't feeling well." He suggested. 

"Yea, that's why we're here. Where is Kari?" Sora asked. 

"She went to her locker to get a photo magazine. She wanted to show me all the new stuff that this program will allow her camera to do." The red haired teen told the others.

Nodding, Tai smiled. "Well, just tell her that I'm at the nurse's office, okay?" He said, sounding as if he had just ran two miles without stopping. His breath was short and his complexion was very white. Breads of sweat ran down Tai's brow and dripped onto his jacket. 

Lowering his head, Tai suddenly went limp. "Whoa. He's out again." Joe stated, adjusting the new amount of dead weight at his side. 

"What do you mean again?" Izzy asked. 

Looking up from her friend, Mimi frowned, "He has been slipping in and out of consciousness."

"Who's been in and out of consciousness?" Kari's voice asked from behide the group. 

Turning, the digidestined saw Kari standing there, magazine in hand. Lifting his head up, Tai and Kari's eyes locked immediately. Pushing Joe away, Tai walked over to his sister. Suddenly, his knees gave out again and he fell to the cold tile floor. Dropping the magazine, Kari went to her knees as well and grabbed her brother's shoulders. 

Looking into his sister's eyes, Tai asked softly, "Is the aura…getting stronger?"

Nodding, Kari hugged her brother. "Tai…" She whispered. 

"Come on, let's get him to the nurse's office before you pass out again." Matt told Tai, helping him to feet. 

*****************

Upon entering the nurse's office, Matt quickly walked Tai over to one of the beds. Sitting his friend down, the blond haired teen knelt so at he could look his best friend in the eye. "Just stay with us for a few more minutes, okay?" 

Tai tried to answer his friend, but all that came out of his mouth was a harsh cough. "What on earth is going on in here? This is a medical office, not a teenage hangout!" The high pitched voice of the school's nurse shouted causing the digidestined to jump and freeze. 

"Ms. Islama, we just brought Taichi Kayima down here. We're his friends." Izzy stated, taking a step back from the woman. 

Looking past the rest of the teens, Ms. Islama saw Matt and Tai staring at her wide-eyed. "Which one? Both of them seem very pale." She asked. 

Standing from the floor, Matt suppressed his anger. "Not me. Him." He said through clenched teeth. 

Pushing Matt out of the way, the woman bent down and took a thermometer from a cabinet. Then turning around quickly, she shoved it into Tai's mouth. After two minutes of pure silence, the timer on the thermometer beeped. Yanking the plastic heat teller out his the teens mouth, the woman gasped. "Dear heavens boy! You have a 101.6 fever. You are going home immediately." She stated, walking over to the phone in her office. 

Shutting the door behind her, the other digidestined walked up to their friend. "Man Tai. Now I see why no one ever wants to go to the nurse when their not feeling well or if they are injured. That woman scares me." Mimi stated, sitting down in an empty chair. 

"Tell me about it." Matt added, sitting down next to his girlfriend. "She called me pale. I'm not pale!" He shouted. 

Sora sat down next to Tai. She looked at him and could tell that he didn't feel like talking. Placing her hand into his, she rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, Sora suddenly felt a soft touch come to her head. Looking up, she saw Tai smiling at her weakly. They sat there in silence for the next ten minutes in complete silence, until finally the door to the nurse's office opened and Mrs. Kayima walked in. 

"Tai, are you alright?" She asked, coming over to her son. 

"I've been better." The teen stated to him mom tiredly. 

Helping her son to his feet, Mrs. Kayima took his bag from T.K. and thanked all the teens. Then, signing himself out, Tai and his mom headed for the main doors of the school. The other teens walked with him and his mom, just in case he passed out again. 

As they went out to the car, Tai bowed slightly and smiled. "Thanks guys." He whispered. 

"We'll come by after school's over and see how you are, okay?" Sora told him, hugging him goodbye. 

Kissing her on the cheek, Tai nodded. "That's would be great. See ya." He said, getting to the car. 

As they drove away, Kari felt a tear roll down her cheek. 'My…dream…is coming true.' She thought.

********************************************************************************

What do you think so far? Let me know what you think. Please Read and Review!


	2. The Virus Strikes

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the characters from that show __

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the characters from that show. Although there are some things in life that I do own, the rights to the show are not one of them. (I forgot to put the disclaimer on the first chapter's page, so this is as good a place for it as any. ;-) ) 

****

Chapter Two 

The Virus Strikes

By: Lady Ava

Upon reaching the Kayima's apartment, the seven teens became very uncomfortable. Something just didn't seem right. The air felt different and the sky had darkend ever since the time Tai had left from school and thunder began to roll across the sky. 

As Kari reached out to open the doorknob, a crash of loud thunder shot through the city. Looking back at the sky, the young girl's eyes narrowed. "I don't like this." She stated. 

"You don't like what?" T.K. asked, becoming concerned for his girl.

"This storm…it's a warning. Something bad is going to happen." She told the others, opening the door. Walking into the entrance, Kari called to her mother. "Mom! We're here!" 

Looking down the hallway, the seven teens saw Mrs. Kayima come out of her son's room, her face graced with a grim expression. She held a small container that had a towel hanging over the edge of it. Looking down at the teens, the woman smiled. "Hello everyone. Are you here to see Tai?" She asked. 

Bowing, the teens, minus Kari, answered. "Yes, Mrs. Kayima." 

"Alright. Just be very quiet. Tai has a very bad headache and his blinds are shut." She stated sweetly, as she walked into the kitchen. "Kari, could you please bring this in as you go?" The woman asked, handing her daughter back the container of cold water. "Just put a fresh cloth on your brother's head." She added.

Nodding, Kari led the others into the darkened bedroom of her brother. The door was left opened a crack so that they could see somewhat. That's when they saw Tai. He was under at least six heavy blankets and he was completely still. His breath was heavy as he lay there, heaving in and out every breath he could draw in. 

Walking over to her brother, Kari sat down next to his bed. Removing the towel from his forehead, she dipped it into the cool water. Ringing it out, she reached over and placed it back onto her brother's head. As she pulled her hand away, Tai hand reached up and grabbed it lightly. "Kari?" He asked weakly. 

"Tai, you're awake." She said, motioning for the others to come over. 

The leader of the Digidestined seemed to have reached a downfall. Tai's hair was stuck to his forehead and he was as pale as his white sheets. The other teens could see the beads of sweat running down the side of his face as he tried to sit up. 

"Don't try to sit up yet, Tai." Sora told the sick teen softly. 

Looking at Sora, Tai smiled a bit. "Why are you here?" He asked. 

"To see you. We said we come over after school. Don't you remember?" Matt told his best friend, trying not to sound as if he were angry.

Closing his eyes, Tai fell backwards onto his bed. "I…don't really remember anything from today." He explained. 

As the others watched, Tai went limp in his bed, his breath seemingly slower than before. "I think we should go, Kari." T.K. whispered. 

"Alright. I think that would be wise. I'll see ya tomorrow." She agreed, kissing her boyfriend goodbye. 

"Tell Tai we'll be back to see him." Izzy added as they began to leave. 

Smiling, Kari nodded. "Alright. Bye guys." 

Tai sat up in his bed; the cloth on his head falling onto his sweat covered sheets. Looking around his room, the teen panted heavily. His breath was short and his head was spinning. Looking over at his alarm clock, the large red numbers read, '9:00pm'. 'Damnit, I can't sleep. I feel like I'm dying…'

Suddenly, a rushing pain rushed through Tai's chest. It felt like his lungs were filling with water. He gasped for air, but couldn't seem to get enough air into his body. With the last bit of breath he could muster, Tai called, "Mom!"

Flopping back into bed, Tai could feel himself drifting in and out of the living world. The door to his room flew opened and Mrs., Mr., and Kari Kayima rushed into his room. Running over to her son, Tai's mother felt Tai's forehead. "Oh no! Kari call 911!" She shouted to her daughter. 

Sora and the others were at T.K.'s mother's apartment. Since it was the closest place to the Kayima's, they figured they could hang out there. 

As they sat on the terrace, the sound of an ambulance rushed by under the balcony. The sound of the horn and the sirens echoed through the warm night Tokyo air as it rushed to its call. 

"I wonder where it's going." Mimi asked as Matt placed an arm around his girlfriend's waist. 

Joe and Izzy sat at the table with the others, looking through one of Joe's many medical books. They all scanned through the pages, hoping to see something that was related to Tai's symptoms. "I haven't seen anything in here that looks like what Tai has." Sora said. 

"Don't worry. We'll find something." Joe stated reassuringly. 

Suddenly, the phone rang. Standing, T.K. ran inside to answer the call. As he picked up the receiver and placed it to his ear, he spoke. "Hello?" As T.K. grew silent, the other teens came inside. While they sat down on the couch, they heard T.K's voice change to a serious tone. "Okay Kari. Just breathe. They went where? Yea? Okay, we'll be there in less than five minutes."

Slamming the phone down, the blond haired teen turned to the other Digidestined. "Tai was taken to the hospital. His lunges are full of blood and he's dead to the world. They don't know what's wrong with him." He stated in a rushed tone, heading for the door. 

Sora shot from her chair. "Let's go. Kari and Tai need us." She told the others, as light tears began to form in her eyes. 

Arriving at the hospital, the seven teens ran up to the main desk in the ER. "Excuse me. Where has Taichi Kayima been taken?" Matt asked, sounding very mature for sixteen.

"Are you family?" The nurse asked, her eyes remaining locked on the computer screen. 

"Well, no." We're his friends and I'm his girlfriend." Sora stated sheepishly.

Looking up from her work, the blond haired nurse sighed. "If you aren't family, then you can't see him." She explained, sounding not the least bit interested in what she had to say. 

Suddenly, a familiar voice called from across the waiting room. "Guys!" Kari yelled.

Turning from the desk, the teens saw Kari pushing her way through the crowds. Rushing from the mob, the younger of the two Kayima's ran into her boyfriend's arms, crying heavily. "T.K…. It was so horrible. He just fell limp in my mom's arms and then began to cough up blood. And when the medics arrived…" She tried to continue, but she broke down even more into T.K's chest. 

"Shh. It's going to be alright." He whispered. "Where is he?"

Pulling away, Kari pointed towards the elevator. "He's in the OR. They are trying to drain the blood from his lunges."

"Come on. Let's go see your parents." Matt told the tearing teen gently. 

Nodding, Kari led the others towards the elevator. Pressing one of the higher numbers, she and the others waited in silence. When the doors opened, the seven teens were met with Kari's parents. "Mom. Dad. How's Tai?" The girl asked quickly, stepping into the elevator with the others close behind. 

"He is out of the OR and is in a room now. We were coming to get you." Mr. Kayima explained, holding his wife close. 

As the doors closed behind them, the Digidestined began to ask questions. "Mr. Kayima, what is Tai's condition? What does he have?" Joe questioned. 

Holding Mrs. Kayima closer, he turned to the teens. "The doctors are running tests as we speak. Tai's in the intensive care unit and is hooked up to a breathing machine and a heart monitor." 

When the doors reopened, the Kayima's led the way down the busy hallway towards the intensive care wing. As they walked through the cold white corridor, Kari held onto T.K. a bit tighter. Looking down at the girl on his arm, the teen asked, "Are you okay?"

"This place…I don't like it here. I was once here and I prayed that no one I know would ever end up in here like I did." She said her voice shaking. 

Upon reaching the doors to the wing, the group was met with complete silence. There was no sound from anywhere around them, except the soft murmur of doctors and nurses. The hallway was panted a creamy white color with a checkered floor. Chairs were placed outside each room for the families of the patents. There were windows outside of the rooms that either had the curtains drawn or opened to reveal an empty room. 

"They said he is in I15." Mr. Kayima told the other teens, glancing behind him at the group of teens. 

As they continued to walk down the long corridor, a young woman doctor approached them. She was dressed in a set of green scrubs and her red hair was in a low ponytail. She wore a stethoscope around her neck and had a pair of glasses in her pocket. "Mr. Kayima, how are you holding up?" The woman asked as she removed the stethoscope from around her neck. 

"We're doing okay." Tai's father stated calmly. 

The teens looked at the doctor in question. Smiling the physician bowed. "I'm sorry for being rude. I'm Doctor Keroshimo. I'm Tai's doctor."

Sora looked at the woman, hoping to receive some kind of good news. "How is Tai? Is he okay?"

Becoming serious, Dr. Keroshimo turned away from the group. "Follow me." As they walked with woman down the hallway, she began her evaluation. "Well, Tai has suffered extreme exhaustion from hacking up a large amount of blood and he has a high fever. We managed to drain the blood from his lunges before there were any complications. He is resting quietly now, but I'm afraid he is still way too weak for any visitors." She told them as she halted in front of room I15. 

Looking through the window, the Digidestined saw their once thought to be unbeatable leader lying unconscious in a hospital bed. He was hooked up to a respirator and had a whole bunch of different machines as well around him. He was drained completely of his color and his hair stuck to his brow because of his sweat. Tai was breathing in a steady pace now, but every breath looked at if it were hard for him to do. 

Sora placed her hand onto the glass. She felt so helpless as she stood there, watching her boyfriend. 'Tai please get better soon. I love you too much to loose you.' She thought as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Joe placed a hand onto the crying girl's shoulder. "It's going to be alright Sora. Tai's tough. He can beat this thing."

"Visiting hours are now over. Would all visitors please exit the build now." A voice announced over the intercom. 

Turning to the group before her, Dr. Keroshimo smiled. "Because your son is in such an unstable state, I give you be permission to stay as long as you want." She told the Kayima family and friends. Bowing she turned towards the elevators. "I have other patents that I must visit, but I'll be back shortly to check on Tai." And with that, she turned a corner and was gone.

"Do you kids want to stay?" Mr. Kayima asked, grabbing the teens' attention. 

"Yes sir. If that isn't too much trouble?" Izzy asked politely. 

Smiling Mrs. Kayima wiped her eyes. "It's no trouble at all." 

Turning back to the window, Sora smiled at Tai. 'I hope you know that we are all here for you Tai. Please come back to us soon.' And so began the longest night of the Digidestined's lives. 

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~ So, what do you guys (or girls) think so far? Please read and review. More to come in the next chapters. ~


	3. Fear of Death

Author's note: Greeting everyone __

Author's note: Greeting everyone. I'm sorry I took so long to get this part up. But I have been really busy with getting ready to go to Band Camp. (So much stuff to do and not enough time to get it all done. ^-^;) Anyways, I hope you enjoy the next part to this story. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Thank you very much. 

****

Chapter Three

~ Fear of Death ~

By: Lady Ava

The Digidestined never thought that waiting would be this brutal. They would see doctors and nurses walk in and out of Tai's room, but never told them anything about how he was doing. The Kayima's, T.K., and Sora sat in the chairs that were provided for them outside of Tai's room. Matt and Mimi sat against the wall, while Izzy sat opposite of the group in another set of chairs. 

Ever since they had decided to stay, Izzy had his head buried deep in his yellow IMac laptop. He would stop, look at his screen in question, and then begin typing feverishly once again. The others thought it best not to ask what he was doing. 

Sora placed her head against the cool stone wall of the hallway. She was done shedding tears and was completely filled with anger. Anger towards the nurses and doctors for not telling them anything for the past two hours. 

Matt was staring off into space. He had been like that since Dr. Keroshimo had left them the first time. He had shown no expression and no movement ever since he had sat down with Mimi in his arms. 

Joe stepped out of the elevator, holding cups of coffee for everyone. Since his father was a doctor at the hospital, he could get the food for free. He had offered to get everyone the coffee, mostly because he couldn't stand to see everyone so down in the dumps. Walking up to Mr. Kayima, he held out the cups of coffee. "I got the coffee. Just as everyone wanted…I hope." He told the man. 

Standing from his chair, Mr. Kayima took the drinks and thanked Joe. Then, he passed the coffee out to the teens, who managed to chug them in a matter of minutes. 

"This is killing me." T.K. said, causing the whole group, excluding Izzy to stare at him. "They won't tell us anything. Tai is our friend and we should know what the hell is wrong with him." He stated in a harsh tone. 

Joe sat down next to Izzy and glanced over at his friend's screen. The red haired teen had accessed the Digimon Analyzer and was looking up information on Virusmon. 'I wonder what Izzy is getting at?' The blue haired teen wondered. 

Standing from her chair, Kari walked over to the window so that she could see Tai. There was a dim glow from the machines in the darkened room. Tai hadn't moved since he had been but there. He showed no signs of life, but the heart monitor told otherwise. Kari just stood there and stared at him. Her brother, who was the wall everyone depended on, had fallen. 'Tai, I told you. I tried to warn you about this. But I had no idea that it would be like this.' She thought, placing her hand to the glass. 

Suddenly, she saw Tai's hand move. She smiled widely as it began to move a bit more. But her smile quickly vanished, for his hand began to shake horribly. A loud beeping began to echo through the room as Tai started to convulse. He thrashed around wildly, his body completely out of control. "Tai!" Kari shouted, causing everyone to jump to their feet. 

As the group looked through the window, a nurse came running around the corner. Sliding to a halt in front of Tai's room, she grabbed a small intercom receiver in her hand. After pushing a few buttons, she voice came over the loud speaker in the wing. "Code Blue. Code Blue. Room I15." And with that she ran inside. 

Within moments, three doctors and nurses were at the scene. All the Digidestined could do was watch as they tried to sedate the teen. But the doctors where unsuccessful in doing so. Suddenly, Tai began to cough and hack up blood. The crimson substance flowed from his mouth and nose, covering the doctors and nurses in the red liquid. The youth punched one of the younger doctors in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. All of a sudden, Tai fell limp on again. But this was no sign that relief could be breathed. The heart monitor that Tai was hooked up to was reading an irregular heart beat. 

"Get him to the OR now!" One of the doctors shouted. 

Unhooking the youth from the machines, the nurses put up the side rails on the bed. Then, they rushed around, trying to move the machines out of the way. Finally, the doctors pushed the bed out of the room and into the hallway. But before the group could say anything, Tai had vanished from sight and was heading towards the OR. 

One of the doctors walked out of the room, his white coat, scrubs, and hands stained with blood. "Dad!" Joe shouted, running over to his father. 

"Joe, what are you doing here?" The man asked, adjusting his glasses with his wrist. 

Joe explained how he was here with the rest of his friends because of Tai. "You mean that was Tai? Oh my god, I had no idea." Mr. Kido said, shock on his every word. 

Mr. Kayima walked up to Joe's father. He tried to act tough, although everyone knew that he was fighting tears. "Mr. Kido, what happened?"

Wiping his hands off on his jacket, the older version of Joe cleared his throat. "Tai had a relapse. Dr. Keroshimo thought that he was stable, but I guess she was wrong." Turning around to turn off the light in the room, Mr. Kido continued. "He started to have a seizure. He is going to the OR now so we can try to prevent it from happening again." 

As he started down the hallway, he called back. "Mr. & Mrs. Kayima. Would you please come with me? We need to go over Tai's medical records." 

Nodding, the two parents of the sick teen started off down the hallway. "We'll be right back kids." Mr. Kayima called as he and Mrs. Kayima turned the corner, leaving the Digidestined alone in the corridor. 

Kari stood there in shock. She couldn't believe what had just happened. The girl stood in the middle of the hallway, as still as a statue just staring off into space. T.K. walked up to the girl and placed a hand onto her shoulder. "Kari," He started. 

Spinning around on her heels, Kari fell into T.K.'s arms, crying. "Tai…" She sobbed onto T.K's shirt. 

Sora fell to her knees. Grief had now come back to the girl, for her eyes began to spill tears once again. Lifting her hands off of the ground, the girl clenched them into fists. Then, in one swift movement, slammed them onto the cold tile floor. "Damnit!" She shouted, crippling over so that her head touched the ground as well. 

Mimi and Matt ran over to Sora. Bending down, Mimi touched Sora's back, trying to calm her sobs. "It's going to be alright Sora. Please…don't…cry…" But as she finished her sentence, she too began to cry. 

Matt held Mimi as she began to cry. "Shh. It's okay Mimi." He whispered. 

"But that's a lie." Sora said finally, coming to her feet again. As she felt the eyes of the other Digidestined fall upon her, she began to talk again. "Tai's not going to be fine. Because of the loss of blood that he has been having, he's gonna die." 

Joe walked up to Sora and faced her head on. "Sora," He stated softly, causing her to look up. Suddenly, he smacked her clear across the face. He didn't hit her hard, but just enough to leave a red mark. As she began to recuperate from the hit, Joe raised his voice. "Don't you say that!"

Sora rubbed her cheek where Joe had landed his hit. "Joe?" She whispered, looking at him with glassy, tear filled eyes.

"Tai is our leader. But as soon as something happens to him, everyone starts to think that there is no hope. That we've lost." The youth blurted out, acting very mature. "Tai always helps us when we are in trouble or don't know what to do. And now that he needs our help, you guys are just gonna turn your backs on him? Well, I'm not." He stated harshly, causing everyone to become silent. 

Matt stood from the floor. Brushing his blond spiked hair from his eyes, he smiled. "You're right Joe. Tai needs us and we're gonna help him." He said boldly. 

"Damn straight." T.K. agreed. 

Wiping her eyes, Sora smiled. "But how? What can we do?" 

"Get Tai an antidote for his virus." Izzy finally spoke.

The group of teens looked over at the youth, who was clutching his laptop with both hands. "Izzy? What are you talking about?" Matt asked, as he and the others gathered around the youth. 

Clearing his throat, Izzy began his explanation. "Well, did you notice how Tai was fine the day we went to the Digital World and fought Virusmon? And then the next day, he was sick?" The teens nodded. Sitting onto the ground, Izzy placed his laptop onto the floor so that everyone could see the screen. "Well, according to the research that I managed to dig up, the reason at Tai is ill is because of Virusmon's Double Viral attack." 

"So what are you saying exactly Izzy? That Tai only has a virus?" Joe asked, leaning over his friend's shoulder to get a better look at the computer screen. 

Typing something into his laptop, the Digimon Analyzer came up onto the screen. Then, information about Virusmon was brought up. "Not exactly. Ya see, the attack is suppost to be used only on other Digimon. It was never intended to be used on a human."

Mimi sat down next to Izzy and studied the screen. "So there is no cure?" She asked.

"I was getting to that." The red haired teen said sounding a bit offended. Lookin back at the screen, the youth scrolled down for more information. "According to the information that Genni gave me, the only way to cure Virusmon's attack to inject the blood of Digimon into the victim." 

Sora jumped to her feet. "Izzy, you're a genius! All we have to do is get the blood and inject into Tai. And then he'll be back to normal!" She said happily. 

"Unfortunately, it is not that simple." Izzy told, causing the celebrating to halt. Turning back to the screen, the computer wiz began to type once again. "Because of the fact that Tai was hit head on with the attack, according to this information, he doesn't have a lot of time left." 

"What the hell you mean?" Matt questioned angrily. 

Coming to his feet, Izzy turned and faced the group. "The virus is slowly stopping Tai's natural systems. If we don't hurry and find the medicine, then soon, Tai's heart will stop and kill him." He told the others, sounded as if it were impossible. 

Putting his hand into a fist, Matt raised his voice. "Then, why are we still standing here talking about it? Let's go and get that medicine." He shouted. 

"Right!" The teens shouted in unison. 

Turning back to the group, Matt took charge. "Joe, go to the medical supply closet and get some needles. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say that you are getting them for your dad." Nodding, Joe ran off. "Sora, Kari, and T.K., you stay here and keep us posted as to what is happing." The three teens nodded. "The rest of you are coming with me." 

Within moments, Joe returned with three needles in a black carrying case. "These were the best ones I could find in the closet." He told Matt as he handed them to him. 

Smiling, Matt placed the medical instruments inside of his jacket. Then, turning to Izzy, the blond said. "Izzy, open the Digiport." 

Placing the laptop onto the chairs outside of Tai's room, Izzy withdrew his digivice. "Alright, let's go guys! Digiport open!" 

The familiar gateway opened up onto the screen. Looking back at the rest of the group, Matt, Joe, Izzy, and Mimi smiled. "Don't worry. We'll be back before you can say Myotismon." Mimi said, flashing a victory sign. And with those as their final words, the small group vanished into the Digital World. 

Sora watched as the gate closed behind. "Good luck guys." She murmured softly. 

"We're counting on you." T.K. added as he held Kari closer. 

'Come back soon.' Kari thought, holding onto T.K tighter. 

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~ I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review! ~


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